追憶 (Reminiscence)
by PONPONnyan
Summary: Even afterlives had expiration dates and mine was no exception. If anything, my second life's clock had started ticking the moment I was born into a world where the impossible was possible and where only the strongest survived. Self-insert/SI OC
1. prologue

追憶** (Reminiscence)  
**

**Summary:** Even afterlives had expiration dates and mine was no exception. If anything, my second life's clock had started ticking the moment I was born into a world where the impossible was possible and where only the strongest survived. Self-insert/SI OC

**Disclaimer:** Me no own Naruto, that's Kishimoto's to troll and play with~

**A/N:** I'm finally trying my hand at one of these SI OC fics after being inspired by so many good ones, although really, this is more of a stress-reliever and pet project more than anything...

* * *

_prologue_

* * *

Looking back on everything… I didn't remember dying, but I didn't remember being born either. It was likely a defense mechanism, something to protect my then-fragile mind.

What I did remember…was waking up in a comforting nothingness, a place that felt protective and warm. I wasn't conscious long enough to even begin to think about what had happened; soft murmurings made their way to my ears and a steady pulse lulled me back into the waiting darkness.

I would stay there for a long time.

–

When I woke again, I immediately noticed that my comfortable cocoon was gone. Instead, I felt myself in a place (being?) that was bigger than where I'd previously laid dormant.

Self-awareness trickled slowly into my mind, making it hard to think clearly, though a little voice kept telling me that I shouldn't be this…conscious of myself. I suppressed it though, because despite the fog surrounding my thoughts, I was curious. About where I was and more importantly, _who_ I was. That was what nagged at me.

My arm twitched and I clenched my hand instinctively. My body, I realized (so that's where I was, in my body!) was moving because I could control it, unlike when I'd been in nothingness. Relief flooded throughout me but it left quickly when I noticed the oddness of the motion. It wasn't quite natural.

I carefully brought my hand to my face, peering intently at it. To my surprise, I could barely see my hand–my vision was too blurry.

As my other fist made contact with my mouth (so I didn't have _too_ much control after all), something _clicked_. It was absolutely impossible and though a tiny part of me had already accepted it, the rest of myself was in shock that my body was now of an infant.

–

Life was somewhat normal after that shocking revelation. For the most part, I was okay with being a baby again; I didn't do much other than eat and sleep those first couple of months.

The absolute worst part of infancy was the feelings of _confinement_ I felt when I was on the verge of waking up. There were times when my mind would drift and I'd forget about the body I inhabited and how much control I lacked over it; it was mind-numbingly terrifying during those first few moments of awareness. More often than not, I would wake up gasping and choking for air as my chubby little arms flailed about. It was frustrating, but I would be able to properly control my body once I grew older (how much older?); I just had to get through my infancy and childhood first.

Body issues aside, what truly bothered me was my lack of knowledge. The _why_, the _when_, the _how_ about my situation. I had ended up in a new body and I couldn't understand why. There is such a thing called reminiscence, but in my case, it was simply nonexistent. Calling them memories was too much; they were closer to wisps of sensations, incomplete and always slow to filter through to my conscience.

Most importantly, there were just enough bits and pieces to grasp who I was (or rather, who I had been) and that was probably the only reason why I hadn't panicked outright–that and the strange darkness I'd laid in.

Despite the fact that I more or less knew who I was and what had happened (because I'd obviously died, though I'd have time to think about that much, much later) it wasn't enough nor did it prepare me for the world I'd been born in.


	2. one

追憶** (Reminiscence)**

**Disclaimer:** I'll never own Naruto~

**A/N: **I would just like to thank everyone for giving my story a chance; I did not expect the amount of traffic this little fic received, so again, thank you very much. ; u;

* * *

_one_

* * *

_Mirai_. That was the name my mother had given me before she had passed away. _Future._ I had been named as such because Mother wanted me to live. She had hope for me, even though doctors had given Mother's pregnancy a bleak prognosis–she was very likely to miscarry and she was warned that carrying me to full term could result in unfavourable consequences. It didn't stop her though. She fought for me, even though my birth had resulted in her death at the end of those nine months.

I felt horribly guilty about it; it was enough that I'd already died once, but to be given another chance while taking someone else's life? It wasn't something that sat well with me.

With that thought, I resolved to be the best child I could be for my father. He already had to deal with my older brother, who was three years older than I was and a handful. He couldn't ever sit still for very long, so it was with weary resignation that my father trailed after him (when he was home anyway), taking me along with him. I didn't mind, as that meant I got to explore my surroundings.

"Tou-san?" My father looked up from his desk, a tired smile spreading across his face.

"Yes, Mirai?"

"Hungry," I mumbled, touching my hands to my stomach shyly. Though I didn't have my _Before_ memories, I was quite sure that I'd never had such a caring parental figure in my previous life. I think that was why I struggled in accepting the man (also known as Kagami) as my father in the beginning. I got over it eventually because…well, because it was hard not to love him when he did the best he could, especially as a single dad.

Before Papa could respond, my brother burst into the room.

"Tou-san! I wanna go outside!" Shisui shouted as he pointed to the only window in the room. That was another thing that took getting used to: having an older sibling. I was pretty sure I hadn't had one of those in my previous life either. It was easier accepting him than Papa, probably because he was a child.

Forgetting my hunger for a moment, I peered up at Papa, curious to see if he would indulge him.

"Not now, Shisui. It's dinnertime and I need to finish up a report."

"But Tou-san! It's gonna get dark soon," Shisui complained.

Papa sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "Tell you what. You can go outside if you and Mirai go pick up some pork buns from Uruchi-san." In other words: _fine, but only because this is killing two birds with one stone._ Papa was a smart man, though it was very likely that he just didn't want to deal with a tantrum-throwing Shisui.

My brother puffed up proudly. "Mission accepted!" He took money from Papa before turning to me. He grabbed my hand, proceeding to drag me through the door.

I was excited as we made our way down to our local bakery. I seldom left the house; Shisui and I had babysitters when Papa wasn't home but neither took us out much. That didn't mean Shisui would be confined inside–he had ways of getting out without our babysitters knowing, so this rare opportunity wasn't going to be wasted.

As we walked, I noticed that there was a red and white fan that decorated most of the houses. To my surprise, I realized it was _everywhere_.

"Shisui-nii?" I asked as I pointed to yet another fan. Perhaps he could enlighten me on why that fan was important.

"Huh? That's our clan emblem, silly!" He gave me a teasing grin. "Don't you know? The Uchiha clan is the greatest!"

"Uchiha?" Something tickled the back of mind. It felt a little familiar, but nothing was coming up. I frowned. Maybe it had to do with _Before_?

"Yup! Uchiha Shisui," here my brother pointed to himself, "and Uchiha Mirai," he said cheerfully as he poked me. I giggled.

"Well, hello there," a feminine voice said. We looked up to see an older woman with a kind face smiling at us. "You're Kagami's kids, aren't you? Welcome to my bakery." So this was Uruchi then.

"Yes ma'am. Can we get some pork buns?" Shisui asked, holding out the money Papa had given us.

"Of course." I watched as Uruchi began stacking the buns in a paper sack.

"When will you be enrolling into the academy, Shisui-kun?" Uruchi asked. Academy? I guess that made sense; Shisui would be turning four next year and I would be two…

"Next year, oba-san! I'm going to be an awesome ninja, you know?" My brother said with a wide smile. _Ninja?_ Something sank within me.

Uruchi laughed. "Of that I have no doubt, dear. You'll be just as great of a shinobi as your father."

_What?_

* * *

**A/N 2:** This chapter was a bit difficult to write (being sick doesn't help things either), so I apologise if it isn't up to standard. I just wanted to get this out to you guys for being awesome. Future chapters will flow better, I promise.

Also, is anyone interested in beta-ing?


	3. two

追憶** (Reminiscence)**

**Disclaimer:** Kishimoto holds the reins of ownership.

**Beta:** Me! Because I'm my own slave...

**A/N:** You guys make my little heart flutter. ; v; Work and school decided to troll me this week so I apologise for the late update. I hope the longer(ish) chapter will make up for it. ^^;

Review response will be at the end.

* * *

_two_

* * *

Shisui didn't bring up the academy again until the year he could begin attending. I didn't dare ask him or Papa why Shisui was going to the academy to become a ninja.

Something about that word and shinobi had wisps of memories trickling through my mind like water; an image here, another fragment there… The wisps were never complete though, and it hurt my head to try and think back on them so I shoved them away, choosing to ignore them for a while.

Instead, I tried to focus on the people in my life and the world I was living in. After that strange day, Papa had gradually let us wander about our house and the street we lived on. I think we proved to him that it wasn't quite so terrible letting us be outside every once in a while. Still, we weren't allowed to leave the compound unless we had him or babysitters with us.

That was the extent of the contact I had with other people besides Uruchi-san and her husband: Papa, Shisui, and a never-ending trio of prepubescent caretakers. It was kind of odd, once I'd given it some thought.

There was one thing I noticed about our compound and the people that lived in it: they all wore similar clothing and they were all decorated with the clan emblem. Most wore dark-coloured shirts with collars, and it was quite common to see a black or navy blue top with the white and red fan on the back. Some chose to wear lighter coloured clothing, but there weren't many who did so. Shisui and I were some of the few who didn't wear dark clothes and more often than not, we stood out. I was usually clad in a red-stitched white blouse while Shisui wore a light gray, long-sleeved shirt. We thankfully wore dark bottoms, so we didn't look _quite_ so out of place.

In theory, I could understand everyone wearing similar clothing to each other–we were a clan and it was an easy way to visually identify such a large group of people (and let me tell you, there were a LOT of us).

Then there were the other people, the other clansmen who wore strange, protective vests and metal-plated headbands. _Those_ people had weapons on them, short knives and long, sheathed blades. They all seemed…militaristic. Soldier-like. Maybe that was why Papa didn't let my brother and I wander around without supervision–because we were living in some kind of war-ridden place in which soldiers strutted around like they owned the place.

Although we were a _clan_, which meant we were all more or less the same… I sighed as I looked up at the tree I was sitting under. _Shisui-nii sure is taking his time today._

An unfamiliar face stared back at me. I jumped; I hadn't realized there were people out in the training grounds. _But I thought Shisui said no one came to this place because it was too close to the end of the village…_ I flushed, embarrassed to have been caught daydreaming. I wondered how long the man had been there; judging from my numbed rear end, I'd been sitting for quite a while so…that meant he's probably been waiting to use the area for at least two hours.

"Oi, kid, what are you doing out here?" There was a suspicious expression on the stranger's face.

I scrambled into a quick bow. "My apologies…Uchiha-san?" I asked hesitantly. The man in front of me didn't look like any of the clan members, but he wore the same type of protective vest and metal headband; granted, it was brown and not the standard green I was used to seeing, but he was a soldier and soldiers tended to patrol wherever they were ordered. Perhaps he was higher ranked? That would explain the different uniform…

The man gave me a wide smirk. "Hmm…you must be one of the clan brats," he began slowly as he squatted down to my level.

"H-hai?" I took a step back uncertainly. His gaze was intense as he stared at me and to be honest, it was starting to freak me out. Something wasn't right here and the urge to run suddenly crossed my mind.

"You're a little young, but the Uchiha have been known to produce little geniuses before. Tell me, have you activated your clan's eyes yet?"

"What eyes?" I really didn't like where this was going. There was something in his voice that made me think there was more to his question than he let on. Why should he care about something so…random? Most of the clan had black or gray eyes, with the occasional light and dark brown thrown in. They were common eye colours…but was there something wrong with us?

A knife appeared in his hand faster than I could comprehend, the metal shimmering brightly in the sunlight. What was this man?

"Try again." The soldier spun the knife around his finger casually, blue eyes narrowed in a glare.

_Blue?_ _That's not a very common…_ My eyes widened as I realized the gravity of my situation. The clan rarely let outsiders into our compound, and if they did, they were usually escorted to wherever or whomever they had business with until they were finished and then they were escorted back out.

"I'm sorry, I don't–" I stopped as the soldier suddenly grinned.

"Wrong answer, brat." The man _moved_, the knife in his hand glinting as he came towards me. All I could see was the shining silver of the knife and I couldn't move, couldn't–

There was a sharp, metallic clink before a haze of smoke suddenly filled the area.

"Katon: Gōkyakū no Jutsu!"

A giant ball of fire burst into the air between the soldier and I, the heat of it warming my face instantly. _What?_ A choked scream escaped my lips but before the flames could reach me, someone scooped me and leapt back. My stomach churned uncomfortably as the ground beneath me was suddenly far away. Was I _flying_?

"Mirai!" _Papa?_ I glanced up and sure enough, it was he who had rescued me from whatever had just happened.

We landed a safe distance away from the fire and as I glanced back to where I had stood mere moments ago, I realized that several clan members had shown up and were now engaged in some sort of fight with the foreign soldier.

"Mirai, are you okay?" Papa cradled my face in one hand while the other brushed my hair away from my face.

"Tou–" I stopped as I finally looked up at my father.

"W-What's going, Tou-san? Why–"

"Not now, Shisui."

"Is Mirai okay? Mi-chan, what's wrong?"

I could hear my brother saying my name but I couldn't force myself to answer. All I could do was stare at Papa's eyes. They weren't the pretty black I was used to seeing. Instead, they were a deep, vivid red, with three little commas in the center. It looked…familiar. But normal people didn't have red eyes… Didn't have red, ringed eyes...that spun and spun and spun and those aren't Papa's…whose? What is this…?_ Sha..rin..gan…?_

The sound of trickling water was back, but this time, a thunderous crash followed after as the block in my mind exploded. Vaguely, I registered a frantic voice calling for a medic.

"I think she's going into shock," someone else said, but they sounded so distant, so far away…

…_Shock?_ I thought numbly. _No, I just…I…_

_Shh, just sleep_, a tiny voice whispered. _Sleep._

_But I…_

_Sleep._ I was too tired to keep fighting the voice and so I stopped, finally giving in to the warm darkness and the bliss it promised…

* * *

**A/N 2:** And thus concludes the final chapter of the setting up-ness. Thank you so much for sticking with me so far, you all get a delicious cyber cookie/cake/pastry.

**Review response:**

_Guest:_ At this point in time, I haven't quite decided if Mirai will obtain Sharingan; the story has kind of been writing itself, so it could go either way... We shall see!


	4. three

追憶** (Reminiscence)**

**Disclaimer:** I'll let you guys know when Naruto becomes mine, for the time being it hasn't yet...

**Beta:** None. Please let me know if you find any typos, missing words, etc.?

**A/N:** Late again, I know. T^T  
I'm sorry I wasn't able to respond to reviews this time around, but please know I read them and they made my eyes shine like diamonds in the sun~

* * *

_three_

* * *

I was drifting. There was nothing here and I was okay with it. Empty space surrounded me and strangely enough, it was comforting. I had no idea how long I'd been there, but I wouldn't mind staying for a while…

"Mirai." A voice called my name and somehow, my nothingness disappeared. _No,_ I wanted to cry. _I don't want to leave. Please let me stay._

Unbidden, a giant mirror rose in front of me. It was only a few feet away but there was no reflection. _How does that work?_

Before I could dwell on the oddity of the mirror before me, a blond-haired boy suddenly appeared in its surface. His bright blue eyes burned into me, lips pulled into a wide smile. He disappeared just as quickly as he'd appeared, and another boy took his place, though this one was pale and dark-haired. His dark eyes were narrowed in a glare, as if I'd angered him somehow.

"Hey," I began, reaching out to touch the mirror. The boy disappeared and this time, a girl appeared and I stared in disbelief. I was sure pink hair wasn't supposed to look quite so natural, but on her it did.

The blond boy appeared again, and this time I looked at him more closely. Hair like sunshine and eyes that shone like sapphires…And were those whisker marks?

I froze. Something was raging in my mind and suddenly I felt sick. _I know this person._

"Mirai?"

The mirror shattered unexpectedly.

My head was beginning to hurt as the waves of nausea continued. _I'm not Mirai._ My heart beat wildly in my chest as I dropped to my knees. _I'm not Mirai. I'm not–I am, I am–_

"_Allyson, look!" Jackson held out a worn comic book. I smiled as I took it from him. A blond boy in an orange jumpsuit grinned at me from the cover. "I'm going to be strong like him!"_

"_I don't doubt it," I murmured as I glanced at the IV hooked up to my little brother's skinny arm. _

"_Promise me you'll read his story, okay? Then you'll see just how great Naruto is. There's even a show! Promise to watch that, too?"_

"_I promise, Jackson."_

I clutched at my head as the memories continued.

_"Jackson's getting worse, Allyson. We can't come home tonight, we need to be here for him–"_

_"In case something happens. Yeah, I know Mom."_

_"Watch, Ally! Naruto's introduction is coming up!" Together, we watched as the blond boy fiddled with his headband, a cheerful grin on his face._

"_I'm Uzumaki Naruto! I'll be Hokage someday, dattebayo!"  
_

The memories drifted away, but the voices still echoed around me.

_Hokage? _I could feel the blood draining from my face. _But that means…Those kids from before are…are Sakura. Sasuke. Naruto._ I choked back a sob. _Uzumaki Naruto. Uchiha SasukeAkatsukiMadaraMassacreItachiDanzōHateHATEHATE._

This was all just a dream. My life here…was a dream. How else could something like this be possible? It wasn't, it simply wasn't. Because that would mean…reincarnation. A second life. What happened to me in my previous life?

"Mirai, please wake up."

_My name isn't Mirai_, I wanted to say, but my mouth wouldn't obey. I'm not your daughter_–_because it must be Papa calling my name–I'm not even from this_ universe, _my God.

_Allyson, my name is Allyson and I have a younger sibling who is dying, a nanny whom I'm closer to than my own parents, an empty house that no one but Sari and I live in because Mom and Dad are never home._

There was a gentle pressure on my arm, feather-light.

"Uchiha-san, please. She will wake when she is ready."

So it wasn't a dream. It was real…all of it.

I sank back into the darkness.

* * *

I was quiet and withdrawn in the days following the Iwa incident. Papa and Shisui were worried about me, I could tell, but it was just…hard. Hard to talk to them, to interact with them, knowing what I did.

The memories that had lain dormant for the past two years had been overwhelming–I had cried for several nights in a row, when my brother and father were asleep. I was always silent though, not wanting anyone to hear me. The only time I had sobbed outright was the second time I had woken up. The images of the clan's impending massacre had been all I could think about when I'd gained consciousness and I'd wept, retching as I did so; the memory had been so vivid and now that I was _here_, in a world where people could kill you in a blink of an eye…it was both terrifying and nauseating.

I got over it, eventually. I'd grieved to the best of my ability for my life from _Before_ but I was done. Dwelling in the past wasn't going to do me or anyone else any good (not that they knew my past, but still).

What I did spend time thinking on was my current situation. After I'd suffered through my little bout of hysteria (I'd never seen my poor father so frazzled, not even when dealing with Shisui's mischievousness.), I accepted the fact that I was now somehow living in a fictional world and tried to adjust as best as I could.

It wasn't easy. My brother was going to the academy to become a shinobi, something that was very common in the village and something that the clan expected.

It worried me. Being an Uchiha…meant being a shinobi. Yes, there were plenty of civilians within the clan but my father was a ninja. One who had lived through two ninja wars and had served under the Nidaime, he had the begrudging respect of the clan elders.

I say begrudging because the elders weren't particularly fond of how much Papa cared for Konoha. "The clan is important, but it isn't everything. Above all, Konoha and your safety is the most important thing to me," was something Papa had started telling my brother and I lately. "Always do what you can for the things and people in your life that are precious to you. Don't worry about whether it's right or wrong."

But in my memories…my brother had grown up to be an extremely talented shinobi. And he'd _died_, trying to do something he thought would protect the village. And as for Papa… I didn't even know when he would die.

I blanched. The death of my little family wasn't something I wanted dwell on but how else could I protect them? I was sure Papa wouldn't force me to do something I didn't want, but the village on the other hand…We were in the midst of another war, and most shinobi-prospects were being placed in the academy as soon as they were able to, which was about four to five years old, judging by how old Shisui was when he joined. Even though there were few children within the Uchiha clan, almost every single one of them was put through the academy. We were known for producing skilled ninja, after all.

So when it came down to it…Could I do it? Could I live as a ninja and put myself through missions, through training, through the path to imminent death? Because in all honesty, that was what awaited me. The clan was going to be massacred (when that would happen, I didn't know) and the only person to survive was going to be Sasuke, aside from Itachi and a certain masked Uchiha. If I decided to pursue a shinobi career, I was either going to die out on the field or I was going to be murdered. Either way, I was dying.

"Mi-chan, dinner time!" My brother burst into the room, scaring the living daylights out of me. Was stealth something they started teaching at his age? I wondered as I made my way over to him.

Shisui grinned as he grabbed my hand, petting the top of my head with his other one. "C'mon, Tou-san made gyoza and nikujaga!"

My stomach rumbled in response and I flushed while Shisui laughed.

"B-be quiet, Shisui-nii," I complained.

"Sounds like someone's hungry," Papa teased.

"Hai, Tou-san," we chorused. Papa gave us a fond smile. We were just about to sit down when someone knocked on the door.

"Wonder who that could be," Papa said, a frown on his face. We rarely had anyone over, except for the genin teams that were sent to babysit us on occasion. "Go ahead and eat, I'll be right back."

Shisui shrugged and stuffed a dumpling in his mouth. I mimicked his actions until we were finished with our meal. My brother began drumming his fingers on the table, heaving long, exaggerated sighs. I giggled in response. We sat for another ten minutes until we couldn't take it anymore.

"Tou-san's food is getting cold," I murmured as I glanced at his plate. Shisui hummed in response before leaping off his seat.

"Let's go get him then," he said, helping me off my own chair. We made our way to the living room, where we could hear Papa talking to someone.

"Tou-san, your food is cold!" Shisui chirped. Papa turned his head and gave us a sheepish smile as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"I'll be right along, Shisui, Mirai," he promised.

"These are your children, I presume," said a curt, male voice. "It's about time I met them." Papa's form stiffened ever so slightly and instantly, I was wary of the stranger in our home. Papa half turned his body toward us, and I recognized it for what it was: a protective stance, one meant to intercept the stranger should they choose to attack us.

The man stepped forward, one eye scrutinizing our childish forms. I stumbled to a stop, my grip on Shisui's hand tightening. How did Papa know him? Why was he here? So focused was I on the man before me that I almost missed Papa introducing us.

"Danzō, this is my son, Shisui, and my daughter, Mirai. Kids, this is my old teammate, Shimura Danzō."

His eye gave us another probing glare before turning his attention back to Papa.

"They will make fine shinobi for Konoha."

Papa frowned but said nothing. It was quiet for a moment as some wordless message passed between them.

Danzō made one final remark, his eyes resting on me. "I expect to see the girl in the academy soon, Kagami."

He vanished in a swirl of leaves.

* * *

**{omake: 一 } first impressions**

Mirai is quiet as Tou-san carefully hands her to Shisui. It's a rare thing, Shisui thinks as he holds his arms out obediently. Maybe it has something to do with his dead Kaa-san. She _did_ die after his baby sister was born so maybe that's why Tou-san is so careful with her. Whatever it is, Father never really lets Mirai out of his sight nor does he let the old ladies down the street hold her.

She's pretty small, he decides as he looks down at the baby in his arms. Up close, Shisui can see the dark little lashes that frame her dark eyes. Mirai doesn't have a lot of hair yet, but the little she has is soft and wavy. It reminds him of his mother and he says so.

"She looks like Kaa-san," he announces. And because she does, Shisui promises to take care of her, because he loves his Kaa-san just as much as he loves his Tou-san, and if both Kaa-san and Tou-san love Mirai, then he'll love her, too, even if she _is_ a little heavy (though really, he just wants to go outside and play, before the sun completely sets).

His father just gives him a sad smile before embracing the both of them.

* * *

**A/N 2:** _Gyoza_ are dumplings stuffed with minced vegetables and ground meat; _nikujaga_ is a sweet-stewed meat and potato dish.

Thank you again for reading/following/faving this story! It means a lot, it truly does. ; v;

By the way, are omakes something you guys are interested in? I personally love seeing them in other fics, since they're kind of fun little bonuses, but I understand that there are some people who don't care for them so...


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